Our View: Movin' on

Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, April 4, 2007

The Michigan High School Athletic Association fought a good fight, but its battle to keep girls and boys sports seasons as they currently are ended Monday.

Thats the day the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal brought by the MHSAA.

Many in Michigan wish the high court had at least looked at the case, which first was filed in 1998 by the group Communities for Equity, which was founded by two Grand Rapids-area mothers. The mothers felt their daughters were missing out on college scholarship opportunities due to the states girls sports season schedule, which was the opposite of most other states. The MHSAA argued that having girls play basketball in the fall and volleyball in the winter was not discriminatory and created a more favorable scheduling environment for gym use, referees and games. It also contended that having the seasons at a different time than other states was a benefit because it allowed recruiters to use their less busy off-seasons looking at athletes in Michigan.

The courts disagreed, leaving the MHSAA and all Michigan schools left with a lot of work to do by next fall. Thats when girls basketball will switch to winter, girls volleyball to fall, girls golf to fall and girls tennis to spring. Boys golf will move to spring and boys tennis to fall.

The moves will cause scheduling difficulties, and create frustrations for many schools, but its time to quit wishing the seasons could stay as they currently are and move on. The high court, by not speaking, has spoken.